The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for September 2012

12.09.2012 Rechytsa state-owned printing firm blames equipment for failing to produce alternative candidate’s fliers

Representatives of the Rechytsa-based “Tytul” state-owned printing firm say the company will only be able to produce 5,000 out of 10,000 election leaflets ordered by local alternative candidate Anton Niafiodau. The firm managers say the amount is sure to spoil the printer.

12.09.2012 Vitsebsk candidate searched at border again

Alena Famina, member of the Social Democratic Party “Narodnaya Hramada” running for Parliament in Vitsebsk constituency No. 17, has been searched today by the Belarusian customs officials, as she was going to Vilnius.

12.09.2012 Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections meet OSCE PA observers

Yesterday, representatives of the “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” campaign have had a meeting with members of the election observation mission deployed by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The meeting was also attended by Co-ordinator of the OSCE short-term observer mission Mateo Mecacci.

12.09.2012 Mazyr HR defender: What is legitimate for international observers, is not legitimate for national ones

Having studied the interim report on election observation produced by the CIS’s mission, Mazyr human rights defender Uladzimir Tseliapun, referring to his personal experience as a long-term observer, argues that it is not so “calm” and “in compliance with the Electoral Code” as the mission’s report claims.

11.09.2012 Mahiliou coordinator of independent observation campaign fined

Judge Aksana Ratnikava of Mahiliou Leninski District Court has fined Yury Novikau, regional coordinator of the “For Free Elections 2012” observation campaign, 4 mln. rubles for distributing products with the campaign’s logo, including observers’ notebooks, guidelines and election newsletters.

11.09.2012 Kalyakin warned for sabotaging credibility of authorities

The politician told to the website charter97.org about a warning, issued for him by Attorney General's office.

11.09.2012 Mahiliou printing companies reject election fliers of UCP candidate

The Mahiliou-based Spirydon Sobal printing firm has refused to produce the election leaflets of local opposition candidate Uladzimir Shantsau, on the ground that they called on voters to boycott the elections.

11.09.2012 Candidate detained at election picket in Khotsimsk

The police of Khotsimsk (Mahiliou region) have detained today candidate Valery Karankevich during an election picket staged in an authorized place.

11.09.2012 Mahiliou Social Democratic activist loses job

Mikalai Zalozny, Mahiliou activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), has been forced to quit his job as a plumber at a state-owned hostel, after a campaign of harassment reportedly caused by the activist’s involvement in the current elections.

11.09.2012 Vitsebsk printing firm blocks orders by opposition candidates

Vitsebsk opposition candidates Alena Famina and Aliaksei Haurutsikau have not been able to have their election fliers printed for five days already, as they suspect sabotage by a local printing firm to prevent the candidates from distributing the leaflets at today’s meetings with voters.

11.09.2012 Biaroza state-run weekly fails to publish opposition candidate’s election programme

The election programme of Valiantsin Lazarenkau, member of the Tell the Truth campaign and the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) running for Parliament in Ivatsevichy constituency No. 11, has not been published by local state-owned newspaper called “Mayak” in its issue of 8 September.

10.09.2012 Smarhon court fines critical artists

Smarhon District Court has found two members of the Pahonia independent art group, as well as local pro-democratic activist Uladzimir Shulzhytski, guilty of participating in an illegal manifestation staged in the town on 3 September to mark the birthday of Rastsislau Lapitski, leader of an anti-Communist movement of late 1950s.

10.09.2012 Tell the Truth activists sentenced to short prison terms

Pavel Vinahradau and Aliaksandr Artsybashau, activists of the Tell the Truth civil campaign, have been sentenced today to 5 and 3 days of administrative arrest, respectively, on charges using foul language on 7 September.

10.09.2012 Brest regional TV illegally censors election address

Mrs. Anzhalika Kambalava, representative of the United Civil Party running in Baranavichy constituency, has received a reply to her request for clarifications on the fact of illegal censorship reportedly committed by the management of the “Brest” regional state-owned TV company.

10.09.2012 Pinsk district: meetings with voters to be held in working hours

Aliaksandr Paleichuk, pro-government candidate running for Parliament in Pinsk constituency No. 15, has met voters in working hours at the district’s state-owned enterprises and organizations, say local observers of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign, referring to an official schedule of campaigning events submitted to the constituency’s election commission.